As a Christian, saved and destined to be a child of God for eternity, would the surrender of your earthly life be worth it to see God alter the eternal destiny of one soul with the power of the gospel?
Even though the thought of martyrdom is fearful and daunting, many of us would still enthusiastically say, “Yes, of course my earthly life would be worth it!” Ok then, but now, let’s take that question a step further. What if the goal wasn’t just saving a soul, but helping someone come to truly know the character of God? Would we be willing to sacrifice our earthly lives for that purpose? This is a tougher question, but think about it: what if our sacrifice helped lead someone closer to receiving Jesus? Or helped a fellow believer draw nearer to the Savior who redeemed them? Would we then be able to say that the giving of our lives would be worth it?
For some of us the thought of a grand sacrifice for the kingdom comes easy. Such a sacrifice seems exciting and romantic. We want to do great things for God. But, the truth is, the transformation God offers isn’t just about the grand, dramatic moments; it’s about the daily choices to surrender our lives to Him, to let go of the things that hold us back from becoming more like Christ. It’s in the small, everyday acts of dying to self—choosing humility over pride, forgiveness over bitterness, grace over anger—that we begin to reflect His character.
But, though we feel affection and thankfulness to God for loving us and saving us, there exists within each of us a tendency to resist change. Many of us would proclaim our willingness to die for Christ and yet we continually wrestle with the call to die to self. We rejoice in the transformation that we see God working in others and we resist transformation in ourselves. Instead of dying to self we too often elevate self. We fight for self, we struggle to increase our status, power, and pride. We defend personal territory, we excuse our hurtful ways, we refuse to forgive when we are hurt and we hold on to bitterness. When the Spirit calls us, through the Scriptures, or through the words of a fellow believer, to die to self and walk in the new resurrection life, we often refuse, choosing instead to remain under the bondage of self. In that refusal, we reject the very transformation for which Christ willingly laid down His life.
There persists in the Church the erroneous understanding that salvation is simply for the sake of rescuing those who believe from the penalty of their sin. Indeed, thanks be to God, salvation by the blood of Christ accomplishes this in those who truly believe. But, the work of the cross is not only for our salvation, it is also for our continued transformation. Romans 8:28-30 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
In Romans 6 we read the incredible words of the Apostle.
“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:17-23).
So why this talk of martyrdom? Because, we must understand that this principle of self-sacrifice is not only for the sake of others. It is also for the sake of our own life in Christ. As we surrender, we will see God change not only our own lives but also the lives of those we encounter. We will become the living testimony of God’s power to redeem and transform. God will use our lives as a living reflection of Christ’s love, mercy, and sacrifice.
So, let’s ask ourselves: Are we willing to lay down our lives for the sake of God’s eternal purposes? Are we ready to be transformed by the One who gave everything for us? The invitation is there, and the reward—an eternity spent with our Savior, and the present abundant life of kingdom work—is worth far more than any perceived gain found in the elevation of self.
Finally, a word of warning. Our God is, and has always been, intimately invested in the process of those he calls His people representing Him well to those who do not yet know Him. Christ perfectly represented the character of God, and to those who would follow Him, he clarified, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Therefore, should we find in our hearts no desire for obedience, no desire for transformation, no desire for God’s glorification in us and through us, we must then realize that our religion is without true relationship with God through Christ.
May we joyfully then submit to the potters shaping hand (Isaiah 64:8). May we seek him in prayer trusting in Him to provide in us the will to trust and obey.
Kyrie eleison
Philippians 3:7-8 (ESV)
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
In His Love,
Pastor Brian